SC corridor crowded with bail-seekers

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Gulam Rabbani :Hundreds of workers and leaders of BNP and other political parties out of power are gathering everyday in the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail in cases filed by the law enforcers.Sources said, the number of the bail seekers is increasing day by day after September 1, the day of BNP's 40th founding anniversary.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is passing a vacation period, according to its routine. So, only 4/5 benches are conducting the cases, whereas 50/55 benches conduct the cases during a regular period.Sources said, on Monday, more than 300 cases were filed for anticipatory bail. And same situations are prevailing in the other courts. It is not possible for a bench to hear and dispose so many cases in a day."Law enforcers are filing hundreds of fake/ghost cases with the instruction of the government on the occasion of the upcoming National Elections. That is why, BNP workers and leaders from different districts of the country are gathering in the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail," said pro-BNP lawyer Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan."At least 1200 cases were lodged across the country in last few days and at least 500 bail seekers came to me in last one week for filing bail prayer," said the lawyer. "Bail seekers are helpless as the number of court is very few now," said Barrister A K M Ehsanur Rahman, another pro-BNP lawyer who is also dealing some cases for anticipatory bail.The lawyer said, bail seekers came to him from Narayanganj, Satkhira, Gaibandha and Gazipur districts. "Many bail seekers don't know how many cases were filed against them and how many cases in which police stations are the FIR have been lodged," Barrister Ehsan said."More than one lakh people, mainly BNP activists, have been made accused in 1,200 cases filed across the country in the last 20 days," claimed BNP's Joint Secretary General Moazzem Hossain Alal told The New Nation. "Besides, around 12,000 BNP men were arrested on various charges during the period as law enforcers came hard on them on instruction from top officials of the government and the police," he added.The BNP leader said, "89 lakh leaders and workers of the party were accused in more than one lakh cases in the last ten years." "185 cases were lodged only against me," said Alal.Inspector General of Police Mohammad Javed Patwary, however, said on Saturday that the arrests of party men have nothing to do with the election."Police arrest only those who are accused in different cases or have arrest warrants against them. We are ready to prevent any sort of anarchy centring the upcoming general election."He also asked district-level police chiefs to remain alert so that no one can spread false information through social media to cause deterioration of law and order.The BNP high command says such cases were filed to harass the party activists and supporters only so that they cannot be organised ahead of the national elections slated to be held in late December.